Aircraft towbar

ABSTRACT

A towbar for the towing of aircraft which will enable the user to attach the same to, selectively, the front nose wheel or the front wheel strut of an aircraft. The towbar includes a longitudinally extending towing bar with a vehicle attachment on one end thereof to facilitate attachment to a towing vehicle with the other end thereof provided with a pair of arms to engage the nose wheel or strut. The arms are openable and closeable for attachment to the wheel or strut and the mechanics for opening and closing are arranged within the longitudinal towing bar. The mechanism for opening and closing includes a slide moveable on the bar in a longitudinal direction and a structure for converting this longitudinal motion to rotational motion for rotating an arm control rod which, through a threaded end and threaded bearing will move one arm with respect to the other.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Applicant has not filed nor is he aware of any applications onfile by others that would be pertinent to the prosecution of thisapplication.

SPONSORSHIP

[0002] This invention is through the sole efforts of the listedapplicant and has not been made under any Federal or Independentsponsorship.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] This invention relates generally to a device for the towing ofvehicles and more specifically to a towbar for aircraft which include anose wheel and normally includes a nose wheel strut wherein the towbarincludes means for attachment of the same on one end thereof to a towingvehicle and means for connecting the other end thereof to either thenose wheel of the aircraft or to the strut of the nose wheel such thatthe same may be positioned for towing the aircraft. The control oroperative portions of the nose wheel attachment are housed within thetowbar.

SHORT SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] A towbar for aircraft which provides a longitudinally extendingtowing bar, means for attaching one end of the bar to a towing vehicleand means for releasably attaching the other end to the nose wheel ornose wheel strut of the aircraft. The operative means for connecting thenose wheel or strut attachment end are housed within the extendingtowing bar that allows manipulation and placement of the nose wheel orstrut attachment end to the wheel or strut from a standing position infront of the aircraft.

[0005] Various towing devices are available for various vehicles but theapplicant is not aware of any such device which is directed to use withaircraft which allows for attachment of the same to the craft through arelatively remote control mechanism.

[0006] With the applicant's device, a remote control permits theaircraft connective end to engage either the nose wheel hub, axle areaor the nose wheel strut to apply towing power thereto. The length andlightness of the unit allows one person operation without requiring theperson to obtain his or her physical access to the wheel and,thereafter, connect the same to the towing vehicle or to pull the samehimself or with other persons.

[0007] It is therefore an object of the applicant's invention to providea towing device for aircraft which allows for remote connectiveattachment of one end of the same to the nose wheel or nose wheel strutof the aircraft and attachment of the other end of the device to atowing means.

[0008] It is a further object of the applicant's invention to provide atowing device for aircraft through manipulation of a single controlelement that converts longitudinal movement of the control element torotational power to open and close a pair of wheel grasping arms ortines which are thereby releasably affixed to the aircraft for towingpurposes.

[0009] It is still a further object of the invention to provide anaircraft towing device to enable the user to removably attach the sameto the nose wheel or nose wheel strut of the aircraft without requiringthe user to come into contact or close association to the nose wheel orstrut.

[0010] These and other objects of the invention will more fully appearfrom a consideration of the accompanying drawings and disclosure.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011]FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the aircraft towing device embodyingthe concepts of the invention, illustrating the nose wheel of anaircraft in dotted lines;

[0012]FIG. 2 is a side view thereof;

[0013]FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially along Line 3-3 ofFIG. 1;

[0014]FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially along Line 4-4 ofFIG. 1;

[0015]FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken substantially along Line 5-5 ofFIG. 1; and,

[0016]FIG. 6 is a detail of the rotatable connection between portions ofthe wheel connective arms of the device.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED FORM OF THE INVENTION

[0017] In accordance with the accompanying drawings, the towbarembodying the concepts of the applicant's invention is generallydesignated 10 and primarily includes three elements which are defined asa longitudinally extending towing bar section 11, a vehicle attachmentsection 12 on one end thereof and a bifurcated wheel attachment end 13on the other end thereof.

[0018] The longitudinally extending towing bar 11 includes a generallyrectangular tubular member within which the control elements, describedhereinafter, are provided. The vehicle attachment end 12 may be a singleplate having an aperture 12 a therethrough to be placed about a tow ballof a vehicle. Obviously this attachment end 12 may take any one of manyknown shapes.

[0019] The wheel attachment end 13 includes a first cross bar 13 aarranged normal to the axis of the towing bar 11 reinforced with gussets14 a, 14 b and a pair of arms 13 b, 13 c. The first of such arms 13 b isrigidly secured to cross bar 13 a with the second such arm 13 c beingrotatably mounted on a bifurcated end of cross bar 13 a through pin 13 f. Each of the arms 13 b, 13 c are provided with wheel or strut engagingbosses or other towing attachments 15 a, 15 b to be received either intothe hub of the nose wheel W of the aircraft or to pins which are oftenavailable on the nose wheel strut of the aircraft. Other means ofattachment are often provided, dependent upon the aircraft manufacturer.Either engagement will effectively connect the aircraft to the towbar10.

[0020] In order to obtain the necessary pivotal movement of arm 13 c, itis, as stated, pivotally mounted to cross arm 13 a and the mechanism formoving the same is best illustrated in FIG. 4. A shaft 16 having athreaded end 16 a is provided to extend between arms 13 b, 13 c and athreaded bushing 13 d to receive such end 16 a is provided in arm 13 c.End 16 b is mounted in arm 13 b to accomodate such this movement. Asshould be obvious, as the arms 13 b, 13 c move relative to each otherand arm 13 c moves relative to cross arm 13 a, bushing 13 d, must allowfor such angular shifting and may be flexibly mounted with respect tothe arm 13 c.

[0021] It should be obvious that, although the drawings illustrate arm13 c as being the movable arm, that either of the arms may be mounted inthe same manner such that either a left or right side operation is theactive arm while the other will remain in fixed position.

[0022] To obtain rotative movement of shaft 16, an enlarged pulley 17may be provided such that a connective link such as cable 21 mayencircle the same.

[0023] Rotative power is delivered to pulley 17 and thus shaft 16through movement of the connective link or cable 21 as describedhereinafter.

[0024] The described connection converts longitudinal or linear movementof link or cable 21 wherein the link 21 extends internally of towing bar11 to a control slide 20. As illustrated, slide 20 is mounted and moveswithin a groove 11 a and the ends 21 a, 21 b of such link or cable 21are affixed to the inner member 22 a thereof. Preferably this innermember 22 a of slide 20 is of a low friction material. The upper section22 b of slide 20 includes, preferably, a low friction surface to rideupon towing rod 11. The upper section 22 b and lower section 22 athereof are joined by connecting elements 22 c, 22 d.

[0025] In this manner, as slide 20 is moved longitudinally within groove11 a, the connective link or cable 21 rotates threaded rod 16 to causethe arm 13 c to move with respect to the stationary arm portions 13 a,13 b of such end.

[0026] In order to maintain proper tension of the connective link orcable 21, an idler pulley 25 is provided in a transverse slot 11 b inthe forward most end of towing bar 11. Various mechanical means areknown for positioning such an idler pulley 25 to maintain proper drivingtension from slide 10 through link or cable 21 to threaded rod 16. Thepath of the connective link 21 then, should be obvious in that, ideallyit will encircle the enlarged section 17 of threaded rod 16 to transmitrotative motion thereto, extend around idler pulley 25 and be connectedat the ends thereof to the slide 20.

[0027] In operation, the arms 13 b, 13 c of connective end 13 will bespread by sliding control slide 20 along towing bar 11, the firststationary arm 13 b attachment end 15 a will be positioned in the hub oraxle opening of the aircraft wheel and the boss 15 b of the movable arm13 c will be brought into registration therewith and slide 20 will bereversally moved to reverse the movement of rod 16 to close the arms 13b, 13 c into wheel or strut grasping registration.

[0028] The length of towing rod 11 is arbitrary but should be of adimension to allow the user to control and position the same in astanding position.

[0029] The concept of the applicant's invention is to provide a positivegrasping element having a simple control mechanism for actuation thereofand, with the structure illustrated, it should be obvious that it willnot be possible to spread the arms of the connective end of the samewithout movement of the control slide such that the unit will be in apositive position for towing until the slide is acted upon by the user.

What is claimed is:
 1. An aircraft towing device arranged andconstructed to connect to the nose wheel of or to engage the nose wheelstrut of an aircraft including: a. a longitudinally extending towingbar; b. a pair of arms arranged on one end of said towing bar; c. one ofsaid arms being shiftable with respect to the other such arm to shift atleast one of said arms to increase and decrease the spacing between theends thereof whereby the nose wheel of the aircraft or wheel strut ofthe aircraft may be secured between said arms; and d. means for remotelycontrolling and actuating the shifting of said shiftable arm arranged onsaid towing bar.
 2. The aircraft towing device as set forth in claim 1and a cross arm being arranged at said one end of said towing bar, saidpair of arms being mounted on the outward ends thereof.
 3. The aircrafttowing device as set forth in claim 2 and one of said pair of arms beingrotatably mounted on one of the outward ends of said cross arm.
 4. Theaircraft towing device as set forth in claim 3 and means between saidpair of arms to control the shifting of said rotatably mounted arm withrespect to the other of said arms.
 5. The aircraft towing device as setforth in claim 4 and said means for controlling the shifting of saidrotatably mounted arm including a rotatable rod member having a threadedend received into one of said arms and means for remotely rotating saidthreaded rod member to shift said rotatably mounted arm.
 6. The aircrafttowing device as set forth in claim 5 including, a. a longitudinallyshiftable slide member arranged on said towing bar; and, b. cable meansarranged between said slide member and said rotatable rod wherebylongitudinal shifting of said slide member is converted to rotation ofsaid rotatable rod.
 7. The aircraft towing device as set forth in claim6 and said cable means including an endless flexible connector betweensaid slide and said rod whereby longitudinal movement of said slide isconverted to rotation of said rod.
 8. The aircraft towing device as setforth in claim 6 and said flexible connector includes an idler devicefor maintaining tension of said flexible connector.
 9. The aircrafttowing device as set forth in claim 6 and said shiftable slide memberbeing mounted on said towing bar, said towing bar being tubular and saidcable means being housed therein.
 10. The aircraft towing device as setforth in claim 1 and means for contacting and engaging the nose wheel ornose wheel strut of the aircraft arranged on the endmost portions ofsaid arms.